Diary of a food-loving Central New Yorker

recipes

12/13/2016

'Tis the season for cookies and candy and rich meals. But vegetables can be in short supply. That's one of the reasons we decided to sign up for the Winter CSA offered by Main Street Farms, in Cortland.

Main Street Farms offers a "market style'' CSA that runs six weeks -- every two weeks from December to February. In Syracuse, pick-up is at the Central New York Regional Market, where Main Street Farms owner Allan Gandelman and his team set up each week. While there, we can pick up our favorite yogurt and cheese curds from Wake Robin Farm and check out all the other offerings at the market.

The winter share isn't a typical box share, with the contents selected for you. Instead, bring your shopping bags to the Main Street Farms stand and make eight selections from what is available. On December 1, our first week, we came home with onions, carrots, kale, cabbage, beets, Brussels sprouts and spaghetti squash. I used the carrots to make one of our favorite soups. And a recent dinner at Moro's Kitchen in Skaneateles inspired the beet bruschetta appetizer (below), which we enjoyed with a side dish braised kale and fried potatoes.

Each week of the CSA share includes a "value added'' local product. The first week, it was naturally fermented sauerkraut from local producer Food and Ferments -- look for them in the market's C Shed each week. On subsequent weeks, we're told, we'll enjoy local pasta, pesto, goat cheese and more.

This is our first experience with a CSA and we're loving it so far. Every two weeks works well for us -- the vegetables keep well and there isn't the pressure to do something with them immediately. We can always use things like carrots and onions and Main Street Farms grows salad greens year-round in greenhouses and using aquaponics -- a definite plus. I am not a turnip fan, but we'll give them a try, roasted with beets, onion and potatoes or sweet potatoes.

Did I just Google kohlrabi? Yes, I did! This member of the cabbage family looks like a pale green alien from outer space. The CSA is an opportunity to try new things. Maybe a slaw with apples and toasted walnuts? Or stir-fried kohlrabi seasoned with chili powder or crushed red pepper?

The six-week CSA costs $150, or $25 per week. Considering what we come home with and what we could/would spend at the grocery store for food that has traveled thousands of miles, it's a great value.

We'll keep you updated on what we're doing with our winter CSA produce. For more information on Main Street Farms, CLICK HERE or call 607-218-2101.

Roasted Beet Bruschetta Salad for Two

(Inspired by an appetizer at Moro's Kitchen, Skaneateles)

Diced, roasted beets (roast in advance; see below)

8 slices from a baguette of your choice, sliced diagonally

Butter

Goat cheese (I used Lively Run Goat Dairy)

2 cups arugula for salad

Balsamic vinaigrette dressing (see below)

To roast the beets: Wash beets, trim them if necessary and dry lightly. Pierce the beets with a fork. Place in a foil-lined pan and roast, covered, in a 450 degree oven. This will take an hour or more, depending on the size of the beets. Cool beets, remove skins and dice a couple of them -- how much you use depends on how much you like beets!

For the vinaigrette: Combine one-third cup olive oil and one-quarter cup balsamic vinegar or blended balsamic vinegar (like fig balsamic) in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake well. Place the arugula in a bowl and toss lightly with dressing.

For the toast: Heat a skillet or griddle over moderate heat on the stove. Butter both sides of the bread slices and grill until nicely browned. Remove grilled bread from pan and spread one side generously with goat cheese.

To serve: Place the arugula in the middle of a medium-sized plate. Arrange the cheese-topped bread slices around the salad and top each slice with a spoonful of diced beets. Drizzle a little vinaigrette on top of the bruschetta. Enjoy bites of the bruschetta with bites of the salad.

01/06/2016

A reader of my food stories in the Syracuse New Times reached out to sing the praises of Basil Thai Cuisine restaurant in Phoenix, Oswego County, and suggest I check it out. That was more than a year ago. I heard more enthusiastic reviews and made a mental note to check it out when out that way. But I'm rarely out that way.

After Christmas, craving something fresh and flavorful, we made our way there. The restaurant is about 25 miles from our home on the east side of Syracuse and a couple miles north of the busy crossroads of Routes 57 and 31 in the northern suburbs.

THE VIBE: No-frills. There's no beer, no wine and not much in the way of atmosphere. The food is the star at this storefront restaurant. There's a TV at the counter and about 10 small booths and tables. Walls are a sage-y green and posters of Thailand, the kind you see in travel agents' offices, decorate the walls. The restaurant is owned and operated by chef Pong Siripornsawan and his wife, both natives of Thailand. She handles the front counter and takeout orders and waits on those who opt to eat-in. He does the cooking. We ordered tea (served in tall Styrofoam cups) and pondered our options.

CHOWING DOWN: From the short, uncomplicated menu of starters, soups, salads, rice dishes, noodle dishes, curry and meat dishes, we each decided on an appetizer, soup and main course. The deep-fried egg rolls ($1.79) are long and thin, stuffed with pork, carrots, cabbage and glass noodles, and served with a sweet dipping sauce flecked with red pepper. We could have eaten six apiece and called it dinner.

Next, we turned up the heat a little with two soups. Robert had the tom kha soup with chicken ($3.49). This classic coconut milk based soup contains lime juice, galangal, lemon grass, straw mushrooms, baby corn and scallions, brightened further with cilantro. The soup, ordered medium hot, lacked heat but was full of fresh flavor. My tom yum soup with chicken ($3.49) had a nice, peppery punch, especially toward the bottom of the bowl, where the pepper appeared to settle. The soup is bright and slightly sour, with layers of flavors, thanks to lemongrass, lime juice and lime leaves, along with baby corn, mushrooms, scallions and cilantro. It's the kind of soup you want to pick up the bowl and sip every last drop.

For our mains, we settled on a noodle dish and a curry. Robert ordered the pad see ew with chicken ($8.99) and was pleased with the al dente "chew" of the large noodles, tossed with broccoli, straw mushrooms, baby corn, carrots, cabbage and shredded chicken. My red curry with shrimp ($9.99), arrived with a plate holding a mound of jasmine rice and a small tureen with the curry. The savory sauce of red curry paste and coconut milk contained green pepper, bamboo shoots, basil leaves and about six perfectly cooked-medium large shrimp. The gentle spice of the curry pairs perfectly with shrimp and vegetables and was a refreshing change of pace after rich holiday fare like turkey, ham and the trimmings.

SAVE ROOM FOR DESSERT? The menu lists just two desserts, Thai custard and ice cream sundaes. Neither of them called out to us. We decided to pass.

WOULD WE GO BACK? Yes. Especially if we find ourselves in Baldwinsville or Clay -- the restaurant is about five miles north of Great Northern Mall.

NEXT TIME: We'll try the chicken satay with peanut sauce, fresh rice paper spring rolls and pad Thai or one of the beef, pork, tofu or tilapia dishes. And the Thai iced coffee or Thai iced tea.

DAMAGES: $41 (including tip) for two appetizers, two soups, two entrees and two cups of tea.

Basil Thai Cuisine is at 219 County Route 57, Phoenix, in the Three Rivers Plaza (about seven miles north of Liverpool). The restaurant is open Tuesday to Saturday for lunch, dinner and takeout. Information: 315-695-2545, http://www.basilthaicny.com

11/10/2015

I've probably killed a tall tree or two over the years, printing out recipes from favorite websites like Epicurious, Food52, the Food Network, etc. I've also been socking away pages of recipes clipped from magazines like Martha Stewart Living, Cook's Illustrated, Real Simple and others.

Until recently, I kept all these recipes in a big, fat, three-inch thick heap, stuffed inside an old Cook's Illustrated magazine until the magazine came apart. Then one day, I could no longer stand it. I pulled the recipes out, went through them one by one and downsized the pile to make it more manageable. Bye-bye recipe for cassoulet. I might order cassoulet at a restaurant, but clearly I'm never going to make it. So long, recipe for dark chocolate chunk sea salt cookies. We've got enough cookie recipes to carry us through the afterlife.

And on and on. The surviving recipes were arranged in stacks, by category (pasta, egg dishes, cakes, cookies, etc.), on the dining room table and transferred to an envelope-style plastic organizer with multiple, labeled and divided sections. I picked it up for $5 at OfficeMax, after debating the merits of a three-ring binder. I like the divided organizer better.

Some of you are going to say, "You could have scanned all the recipes on to your computer and made a PDF file to share and access on the computer or print out.'' You're right. I could have. But that would have taken even more precious time. Now I have this recipe file right where I want it: on a shelf, in the kitchen -- in its own sort of portable document format.

For my next recipe project, I'm looking into ways to digitize all or parts of my mother's and grandmother's recipe files. Each contains hundreds of recipes. Several kind souls have volunteered to assist with this. If you have any suggestions, let me know in the Comments section, below.

03/03/2015

My friend Peg Roblin Maroney, weathering the winter in Buffalo, has it right: "This abominable weather calls for the delicious cheesy comfort of a great mac and cheese,'' she said recently on Facebook.

It's March now, and while we might have had our fill of soups and stews and casseroles, the weather still calls for comfort. As I type this, the snowbanks are so high you can't see out of some windows. And it's snowing. Again. March brings "wintry mix."

This recipe, from the Canal House restaurant in New York City, is featured in Marian Burros' 2003 cookbook, "Cooking for Comfort: More Than 100 Wonderful Recipes That Are as Satisfying to Cook as They Are to Eat'' and was included in The Post-Standard Food section some years back. A friend reminded me about it. She said her kids didn't care for it, but that she liked to make this mac and cheese for herself and her husband.

In a large saucepan, cook the onion over low heat in the melted butter until the onion is soft but not browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the flour. Remove from heat and whisk in the milk until thoroughly blended. Return to medium heat and cook, stirring, until the mixture begins to thicken. Remove from the heat and stir in mustard, 10 ounces Cheddar, salt, pepper, nutmeg and hot sauce.

Meanwhile, cook the cavatappi according to package directions until just al dente. Drain but do not rinse. Stir immediately into prepared cheese sauce until well blended. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed.

Spoon the mixture into a 9-by-9-inch buttered baking dish. Top with the remaining 2 ounces of Cheddar and the Parmigiano-Reggiano, then top with the toasted panko breadcrumbs (if using). I recommend using them. They add a nice bit of crunch.

Place oven rack in the bottom third of oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and bake for about 30 minutes, until the mixture is hot, bubbling throughout, and golden. Makes 4 generous main course servings.

Note: The finished casserole can be refrigerated before baking. To serve, let the dish return to room temperature and bake as directed.

Cut cauliflower into florets. Toss with a tablespoon or two of oil, plus a little salt and pepper, and spread out on a baking sheet. Roast at 375 degrees for about 10 to 12 minutes, or until the cauliflower starts to turn golden. Remove from oven and cool slightly. Toast the cumin seed and crust it with the coriander using a mortar and pestle. Swirl in a half teaspoon each salt and black pepper.

Heat a large soup pot over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add onion and red pepper and cook for about five minutes. Add garlic and red pepper, stir to combine, and cook a couple minutes more. Add the spice-seasoning mixture, broth, roasted cauliflower and diced potatoes to the pot. Bring to a boil, stir and reduce heat to a simmer. Continue cooking for about 15 to 20 minutes, until vegetables are tender.

Turn off heat and mash vegetables slightly with a heavy spoon or potato masher. Using a slotted spoon, remove/reserve about two cups vegetables from the soup pot. Puree the soup using an immersion blender. Return the vegetables to the soup pot. Turn heat to low-medium and slowly add milk to pot until soup reaches the consistency (and color) you want. Heat slowly; do not boil. Taste for seasonings and add salt and pepper as needed. Ladle soup into heated bowls. Garnish with a sprinkle of Parmesan OR swirl in a little sour cream, if desired. Makes 12 or more servings, depending on size.

07/01/2014

A lovely take on antipasto salad, at Pascale's Italian Bistro (800 Nottingham Road, Syracuse; at Drumlins Country Club). The only thing missing was olives.

When the weather gets hot, things like soups and stews lose their appeal -- and things cool, green and crunchy gain appeal.

We grow salad greens in our garden box at home and love stepping out the kitchen door to snip lettuces and arugula -- the ultimate in fresh salads. At restaurants, the first menu items we turn to, usually, are the salads.

Here are a few excellent salads we've known and loved in our dining adventures in Central New York. Keep reading for a copycat version (with recipe) of Alto Cinco's popular Berry Salad.

The Turkey Quinoa Salad joins the Couscous Salad (Israeli toasted couscous, almonds, dried cranberries and chickpeas, tossed with lemon and spices and served atop fresh field greens with feta and seasonal vinaigrette) as a Mello Velo menu favorite. Some day soon, I'll have to try the Quinoa "Cobb" Salad.For more information on Mello Velo, including menu, CLICK HERE.

What: Berry SaladWhere: Alto Cinco, 526 Westcott St., SyracuseWhy it's special: Sliced avocado, sliced strawberries, blueberries and goat cheese take this salad, on a bed of mixed greens, to a whole other dimension in salads. It's an excellent combination of tastes and textures, all dressed lightly with balsamic vinaigrette. Add a side of jalapeno cornbread and I'm in heaven. Next time, I might have to splurge on the Jerk Chicken or Shrimp Salad.For more information on Alto Cinco, including menu, CLICK HERE.

What: Apple Walnut Salad (and others)Where: Cafe at 407, 407 Tulip St., LiverpoolWhy it's special: I order this salad almost every time I go for a pour-over coffee and WiFi and end up staying for lunch at Cafe at 407. It features mixed greens and so many good things: apples, walnuts, beets, blue cheese and dried cranberries, tossed with balsamic vinaigrette. For $2 more, add chicken.

This salad is a standing menu item at Cafe at 407. The photo shows a salad special that featured mixed

Mambo Salad,The Mission, Syracuse: If I had a dollar for every time I've ordered the Mambo Salad, I'd ... buy you a Mambo Salad for lunch. It's a crispy flour tortilla bowl with romaine, black beans, avocado, oranges, pico de gallo and cotija, a Mexican grating cheese, tossed with a delicious pineapple-cilantro vinaigrette.

Tableside Caesar salad for two, Joey's Classic Italian Restaurant, Syracuse. You can order a Caesar salad off the menu just about anywhere. A Caesar salad for two prepared tableside is an art - and a treat.

Spinach salad,Phoebe's, Syracuse: Phoebe's has had some form of spinach salad on the menu for as long as I can remember. Chef Dan Hudson's current menu features a spinach salad with baby spinach, chopped hard-boiled egg, bacon, red onion, feta cheese and red wine vinaigrette.

04/19/2014

I've been thinking about gnocchi - dreaming about it, really -- ever since enjoying the world's lightest, pillowy homemade gnocchi at a trattoria in Haddonfield, NJ, last fall.

The search for the right recipe took me all over the place, but eventually to Food52.com, where I found a recipe for ricotta gnocchi and successfully turned out five dozen of the little pasta stand-ins.

I considered serving the gnocchi with a creamy pesto sauce, like the restaurant did. Then I saw fellow CNY food blogger Mark Strong's post on working to perfect his homemade vodka sauce -- and decided to serve that with the gnocchi.

Robert calls Mark's sauce "the best vodka sauce I've ever had." I made it again last weekend, to serve with penne and some excellent shrimp from the seafood vendor in Shed A at the Central New York Regional Market.

I suppose it would be possible to make both the sauce and the gnocchi the same day/evening for dinner, but I'm somewhat slow in the kitchen, especially when trying out new recipes. I made the gnocchi in advance and stuffed them in zip-top bags in the freezer.

The sauce was made on a Sunday morning -- the day we would have the gnocchi for dinner. The recipe calls for a cup of vodka, but I ended up adding an extra quarter cup, a tablespoon at a time, to get the flavor punch I was after. I added a big pinch of crushed red pepper to the recipe for some zip, but that is completely optional. It's a good idea to make the sauce early in the day and let it rest until you're ready to eat it, to allow the flavors meld.

As for the gnocchi, most recipes and instructions say to cook them in boiling water until they float to the top. If you like your gnocchi a little soft rather than al dente, leave them in the water an extra minute or so.

12/20/2013

It wouldn't be Christmas without taking a new cookie for a test drive.

We love cookies that call for a lot of butter (the more, the merrier!), are thin, crispy and crunchy, go well with coffee and tea -- and Champagne or Prosecco -- and look pretty on a cookie plate.

This recipe qualifies on all counts. I adapted the recipe, which was originally conceived as a "drop cookie,'' to make it a "refrigerator cookie.'' You can make the dough in advance and slice and bake the cookies the next day or several days later.

The dough freezes well and is best sliced cold or even slightly frozen, straight from the refrigerator. The recipe makes a righteous batch of cookies -- about 5 dozen, or enough to meet cookie exchange quota and have leftovers for gifting.

Using cornmeal in a cookie might sound strange, but it's nothing to fear. It gives the cookies a faint yellow color and adds interesting texture, as do the dried cranberries.

Have you baked a new-to-you cookie this holiday season? Leave a comment below -- I'd love to hear about it. One can never have enough Christmas cookie recipes!

Cornmeal Cranberry Cookies(Adapted from a recipe by Diane E. Appleton, on Epicurious.com)

In a bowl whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl with an electric mixer cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy and beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add zest and stir well. Add flour mixture and vanilla and stir until combined well. Stir in cranberries.

Divide dough in half. With floured hands on a lightly floured surface, form/roll dough into two logs, about 2 inches wide by 11 inches long. Wrap in waxed paper and refrigerate 8 hours/overnight or double wrap and freeze until ready to use.

When ready to bake, heat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Slice dough into rounds about one-quarter inch and place about 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Bake on middle rack about 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer cookies with a spatula to racks to cool. Store cookies in tins. Makes about 5 dozen cookies.

11/13/2013

Kale is everywhere these days, having its moment on menus and in the culinary limelight.

At our house recently, broccoli had a moment, when both of us came home with big green bunches of it.

We could have blanched it and stuffed it in the freezer for later use. Instead, we enjoyed it as a side dish and came up with a couple recipes to spotlight it.

There are worse things to OD on, right? Broccoli is a good source of protein, vitamin E, vitamin A, Vitamin C, calcium and iron and an excellent source of fiber. It's versatile, and works well in soups and salads, on pizza, in omelets and in other egg dishes.

Got a a lot of broccoli in your veggie drawer? Here's a couple recipes to add to your repertoire.

Creamless Broccoli Soup

1.25 to 1.5 pounds broccoli florets (and stalks, sliced)

2 tablespoons butter or olive oil, or a combination

1 medium onion, diced

1 large carrot, chopped

2 stalks celery, diced

1 plump garlic clove, minced

4 cups vegetable broth

2 cups water

Black pepper to taste

Pinch of cayenne

Salt if needed

3/4 cup rice

1/2 to 1 cup milk

Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Heat butter or oil in soup pot over medium heat. Add onion, celery and carrots and cook about 6 minutes, until translucent. Add garlic and saute - do not brown. Add broth and water to pot and bring to a boil. Add broccoli and bring everything to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer gently for about 10 minutes. Add rice and cook until tender, about 10 minutes more. Broccoli should be very tender, as well.

Puree soup in pot using an immersion blender (or transfer to a food processor and puree in batches, then return to soup pot). Add as much milk as needed to thin the soup to a consistency you like; you can also add more broth. Add a couple tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, if you like. Taste soup and adjust seasonings as needed. Makes about 6 servings.

Smoked Ham and Broccoli Quiche

Pastry for 9-inch quiche

4 eggs

1 cup Jarlsberg, Gruyere or cheddar cheese, or a combination

1 cup smoked ham, cooked and cubed (see note)

1 generous cup cooked broccoli, chopped

3/4 cup half and half

Black pepper, salt

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Roll crust out and place in pie plate. Trim as needed. Crimp edges and prick crust all over with fork. Bake for 7 minutes, or until light golden. Remove crust from oven. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.

Break eggs into a bowl. Whisk together eggs and half and half. Stir in cheese, ham and broccoli. Add pepper and salt to taste. Stir again.

08/08/2013

Today
is National Zucchini Day, also known as “Sneak Some Zucchini onto Your Neighbors' Porch Day," because home
gardens tend to be overflowing with zucchini this time of year.

Our garden isn’t overflowing with zucchini, but we
happily accept donations (especially of small- and medium-size zucchini and
yellow squash) and buy it at farmers markets. At three for $1, usually,
zucchini can’t be beat.

National Zucchini Day is not to be confused with
National Zucchini Bread Day (April 24).

Cook rice according to
package directions. Put aside. This step can be done in advance.

Slice the zucchini vertical
and hollow out the zucchini to make boats. One way to do this is by using a
melon baller or the edge of a spoon. Put the zucchini flesh in a large bowl and
break it up some with a wooden spoon or potato masher.

Heat some olive oil in a
large pan. Brown the beef and season as desired. Drain well and set aside.

Add the onion and red pepper
to the same pan, adding more oil if needed. Add a pinch of salt. Cook over
medium heat for about seven minutes, until onion is translucent. Add the garlic
toward the end of cooking time. Don’t let it brown. Add the zucchini flesh, stir to combine, break it up further
if needed and continue cooking until zucchini is soft. Toward the end, add the
halved grape tomatoes and continue cooking until they are wilted and soft.

Combine the vegetables,
beef, rice, mozzarella and basil in a large bowl. Add salt, pepper and cayenne
(if using) to taste. If necessary to bind everything together, add an egg, some
vegetable broth, tomato juice or tomato sauce. Spoon the filling mixture into
the hollowed out zucchini halves, mounding it. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan
cheese.

Bake at 375 degrees for
about 30 minutes, until heated through. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Pasta with Summer Vegetable Medley

Olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

1 or 2 carrots, peeled and
diced (optional)

1 red pepper, diced

1 medium zucchini and 1
yellow squash, ends trimmed, diced

2 plump cloves garlic,
minced (or to taste)

2 portobello mushrooms, cleaned
well, stems removed, diced (see note)

Half a pint of grape
tomatoes, halved or half a cup of sun-dried tomatoes, cut in strips

Half a cup of oil cured or
kalamata olives, sliced

Salt and pepper to taste

Pasta cooked according to
package directions

Shredded asiago or grated
Parmesan cheese for garnish

Basil leaves or Italian
parsley, to garnish

Heat olive oil in a large
skillet over medium heat. Add onion, carrots (if using), and red pepper and a
big pinch of salt. Cook until vegetables begin to soften. Add zucchini and cook
until it begins to soften but still has some bit to it. Add the garlic and
combine well. Add the diced mushrooms and continue cooking. Add the grape tomatoes
and cook until they are softened. Add the olives at the very end and combine
well. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Depending on your appetite,
serve about a cup of the vegetable mixture with your favorite pasta, cooked how
you like it. I have been using Barilla’s vegetable farfalle (carrot and squash)
lately and really like it. Top with some cheese and garnish with basil leaves
or Italian parsley. Makes 4 to 6 servings.